Achene - type of fruit in which a single seed occurs in a locule and that seed is attached at only one point

Acorn - type of fruit associated with Oaks (Quercus spp.) that is a nut partially or fully surrounded by a cup-like structure

Acuminate - refers to leaves that taper to a sharp point at the apex

Acute - tapers to an angle less than 90 degrees with straight sides

Alternate - referring to one leaf arising from a node

Annual - a plant that completes its life cycle with in one year

Anther - the part of the stamen that bears pollen

Apex - the tip

Aril - a fleshy outgrowth of the seed appearing "berry" like

Auricle - ear-shaped projections

Auriculate - refers to leaves with auricles usually at the leaf base

Axil - when referring to a leaf it is the upper angle between the leaf and the stem

Axillary - located in an axil

Basal (leaves) - refers to leaves that arise from the base of the stem

Beak - a narrow, prominent point

Biennial - a plant that completes its life cycle in two years

Bipinnate - twice-pinnate

Bracteate - having bracts

Bracteole - secondary bract

Bract - a reduced leaf associated with flowers or and inflorescence

Bud - may refer to an underdeveloped leaf or flower

Calyx - collective term for the sepals

Capsule - a dry fruit composed of two or more carpels

Carpel - a simple or compound pistil that bears the ovule(s) in a flower

Cauline (leaves) - pertains to leaves arising from the stem

Ciliate ligules - a strap-shaped projection with a fringe of hairs

Cleft - cut or split

Clonal - refers to plants that arise from a parent plant through vegetative reproduction

Colonial - groups of plants connected by underground organs

Compound leaf - a leaf divided into two or more distinct leaflets

Corolla - collective term for the petals

Corymb - a round-topped or flat-topped inflorescence

Cotyledon - the primary leaf (or leaves) that arises from the seed

Crisped edges (leaves) - crinkled or curled margins

Cuneate (leaves) - refers to the base of the leaf shaped like a triangle that tapers to a point at the base

Cyathium - term referring to the inflorescence in the Euphorbia spp.; consists of a cup like whorl of bracts that subtends a pistil and male flowers each with one stamen

Cyme - a flat-topped or round-topped inflorescence in which the terminal flower blooms first

Deciduous - refers to leaves falling off a tree; the opposite of evergreen

Diadelphous - stamens joined by the filaments into two bundles

Disk Flowers - flowers present in the Asteraceae with a tubular corolla

Dissected - deeply or finely divided

Drupe - a fleshy fruit with a stony endocarp surrounding a central seed (e.g. cherry); this fruit does not open at maturity

Ellipsoid - shaped like a narrow oval in longitudinal section and a circle in cross-section

Elliptic - narrow oval

Entire - not divided, cleft, toothed, or otherwise dissected

Evergreen - maintains green leaves throughout the year; the opposite of deciduous

Exfoliating bark - flaking or peeling bark

Fasicle - a tight cluster

Filament - the stalk of the stamen that supports the anther

Follicle - a dry or fleshy fruit forming from a single carpel opening along a single side

Glabrous - smooth, lacking hairs

Gland - a structure that discharges a sticky substance

Glaucous - covered in a whitish waxy substance that can be rubbed off

Hastate (leaves) - arrowhead-shaped leaves with outward turning basal lobes

Head - a dense cluster of subsessile or sessile flowers; the sunflower in the family Asteraceae is an example

Herb - a plant that lacks a persistent woody stem and dies at the end of the growing season

Herbaceous - not woody; resembling a herb

Indehiscent - refers to that which does not open along a specific suture or pore at maturity; for example a seed that does not pop open

Inflorescence - a cluster of flowers

Involucre - a series of bracts surrounding a flower or inflorescence

Lanceolate - much longer than broad; lance-shaped

Lateral - located on or at the side

Leaflet - a division of a compound leaf

Legume - a dry fruit from a single carpel that opens along both sides (or two sutures)

Linear-elliptic - long narrow oval shaped

Lobe - a rounded segment of a petal or leaf

Lobed (leaves) - having lobes which are divided halfway to the midvein or axis

Locule - a compartment or cavity of an ovary or anther

Midrib/Midvein - the central vein or rib on a leaf

Monadelphous - stamens joined by the filaments into one group forming a tube around the carpels/pistils of a flower

Native - refers to species that occur naturally in an area

Naturalized - species that were imported from another area and maintain themselves without human assistance

Node - part of the stem where the leaves originate

Nut - a hard, dry, single-seeded, indehiscent fruit

Nutlet - a small nut

Obovate - inversely egg-shaped in outline with the attachment at the narrower end

Obtuse - blunt; forming an angle at the apex greater than 90 degrees

Ocreae - sheathes surrounding the stem at the nodes formed by stipules

Odd-pinnately compound - pinnately compound with one terminal leaflet as opposed to a pair of leaflets

Opposite (leaves) - occurring in pairs at the same level on opposing sides of a node

Ovate - egg-shaped with the point of attachment at the broad end

Palmately lobed (leaves) - veined or divided from a common point

Papilionaceaous - butterfly-like; resembling the corolla of a pea plant; common to members of the family Fabaceae

Panicle - branched, elongated inflorescence wherein the flowers mature from the base of the cluster to the top of the cluster

Pedicel - the stalk of a flower

Peduncle - the stalk of a solitary flower or inflorescence

Pendant raceme - a drooping cluster of flowers

Perennial - a plant that completes its life cycle in more than two years

Perfect Flowers - flowers having both male (stamen) and female (pistil) parts

Perianth - the corolla and calyx

Persistent - remaining attached

Petal - an individual part or segment of the corolla

Petiolate - having petioles

Petiole - the stalk of a leaf

Pinnate (leaves) - leaflet arranged in two rows along an axis

Pinnately compound - a leaf in which three or more leaflets are arranged along an axis

Pistil - the female reproductive organ of a flower composed of the stigma, style, and ovary

Pistillate flowers- a flower composed of pistils and lacking male reproductive organs

Pubescent - covered in hairs

Raceme - an elongated cluster of flowers (inflorescence) each with a pedicel

Rachis - the main axis of a leaf or flower

Ray flowers/florets - a flower with a ligule; common in the family Asteraceae; the showy part of a daisy

Receptacle - the enlarged part of the pedicel that bears the floral parts

Rhizome - a persistent horizontal underground stem

Rootstock - rhizome

Sagittate (leaves) - arrowhead-shaped leaves with downward turning basal lobes

Samara - winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing one seed; e.g. the fruit of a Maple tree

Sap - the fluid within a plant

Scape - an inflorescence supported by a leafless peduncle

Schizocarp - a dry, indehiscent fruit that splits into separate single-seeded segments, which represent individual carpels

Sepal - one portion of the calyx

Serrate - toothed along the edges/margins; like a saw

Sessile - attached without a supporting stalk

Sheathing leaf bases - an organ that surrounds the stem; as in a grass leaf surrounding the stem

Shrub - a woody perennial plant that is shorter than a tree usually less than 10 m tall

Simple (leaf) - a leaf not composed of separate leaflets

Solitary - alone

Spike - an unbranched elongated inflorescence with sessile flowers

Stamen - the collective term for the anther and the filament; the male parts of a flower

Staminate flower - a flower composed of stamens lacking female reproductive organs

Stipe - a stalk that supports another structure

Stipules - pairs of appendages found at the base of the petioles of some leaves

Taproot - the main root from which smaller secondary roots arise

Terminal - located at the tip

Thyrse - a compact, cylindrical or ovate panicle

Toothed - having small points along the edges/margins

Tuber - underground stem modified for food storage; the thickened part of the rhizome

Umbel - a flat-topped inflorescence with pedicels arising from the same point; umbrella-like

Utricle - a small, indehiscent, dry fruit with a bladder-like wall that is free from a single seed

Vein - a vascular bundle

Vine - a woody or herbaceous plant that climbs or trails along some support

Whorled (leaves) - series of leaves arranged in a ring arising from single node